Fort Totten sits on a far-flung peninsula of the Long Island Sound, forming the Northeast corner of Queens. The grounds of this defunct military installation turned underfunded public park are home to over 100 historic buildings representing a series of changes that have taken place over the area’s quiet 200 year history. Unfortunately, the majority of these stuctures have been disused for decades, and many are in a state of progressive collapse. With so much of Fort Totten closed off with caution tape, overtaken with vines, or hidden beneath rusty fences, it makes for an unconventional park, but a fascinating place to wander.

An 1829 farmhouse predating the land’s military use crumbles behind a weedy barricade; out front, a prominent sign bears the inscription: “Please Excuse My Appearance, I am a Candidate for Historical Preservation.” It’s an image that typifies the current state of affairs in the Fort Totten Historic District.

On the northern tip of Willet’s Point, a monumental granite fortification constructed during the Civil War as a key component of the defense of the New York Harbor sits unoccupied, though it’s used as a haunted house on occasion. Clustered on the rest of the grounds, dozens of dilapidated Romanesque Revival and Queen Anne Style officers’ quarters, hospitals, bakeries, movie theatres, and laboratories vie for restoration, but so far the funding has failed to materialize.

The Willet Farmhouse, Fort Totten’s oldest structure, and one of the most at risk.

One such building, a two-story YMCA facility built in 1926, has been abandoned for close to 20 years, but much of what’s left behind lies undisturbed. On a bulletin board in an upstairs landing, a 1995 thank-you letter from a kindergarten class at PS 201 hangs by a crude depiction of Santa Claus, both lovingly dedicated to an Officer Rivera. Steps away, in a rotting book room, an incongruous stash of 80s porno magazines.

Most recently used as a community relations unit of the New York City Police Department, the building is cluttered with mattresses, discarded packaging, and unopened toy donations. The New York City Fire Department, which now operates training facilities in a renovation abutting the hospital building, currently uses the attached gymnasium as a storage space. The basement was filled with rusted-through shelving and ruined equipment, flooded and too dark to shoot.

An overgrown pit in a World War I battery.

On the other side of the peninsula, a series of concrete batteries sit half-submerged in plant life. These were constructed at the turn of the century, but by 1938, they were declared obsolete and subsequently abandoned. The boxy design looks like modern architecture to me, but the battery reveals its true age in other ways.

Pencil-thin stalactites ornament the ceiling wherever the rain gets in, suspended over a crank-operated machine designed to lift heavy weaponry a century ago. The network of maze-like tunnels feature arched hallways with metal doors, winding staircases, and yawning pits, all fit for a dungeon. Guards stationed at the fort were laid off in 2009, and it was unclear on my visit if the area was open to the public or not. A rusty barrier, more hole than fence, didn’t keep out a couple of high school kids, but offered a spot for them to park their bikes.

When the military base changed hands in 2005 and became an official New York City Park, Bloomberg predicted that Fort Totten was “certain to become one of New York’s most popular parks.” Some community members feared that the estimated 450,000 yearly visitors would disrupt parking, increase crime, and change the face of the neighborhood, but ten years later, tourism has yet to pose a problem.

Fort Totten hasn’t lived up to its potential just yet, but the progress that has been made gives hope for improvements to come. The park now offers regular events and educational programs to draw visitors and enrich the surrounding community. Several nonprofit groups have occupied and renovated the decrepit buildings, including the landmarked Officers’ Club, which now serves the Bayside Historical Society as an educational facility and exhibition and event space. These are small but significant victories in the effort to save the historic legacy of a little-known plot that could be the crown jewel of Queens parkland.

(Though in some cases, it may be too little, too late. One look inside the profoundly decayedFort Totten Army Hospital, in Part 2 of this post, will assure you of that.)

I didn’t recognise this house either but I did recognise the distinctive concrete clothesline rack and the new-ish Ernie Pyle building on the right. Growing up there we were never allowed access to the YMCA building as it was leased to the Police Athletic League.

Fort Totten is at the end of the Q13 bus line, and the bus should be marked “Fort Totten” when you get on at Flushing Main Street. You will be riding the entire route, so bring a book or a good guide like “Forgotten NY” or “Forgotten Queens.”

I was one of, those mp s I was there act I’ve duty in 1964 1965 It was a butiful place hearing and seeing this really makes me sick but this is 2016 and everything is political correct It breaks my heart too see what has happened to this country

I took my kids there for the lantern tour on Halloween night. We wonder around for a couple of hours and no one chased or followed us. There’s a patrol car roaming the area. Although they didn’t see us. It was pretty dark and we didn’t have our flashlights on.. pretty creepy FOR SURE… I got to scared and left.. I’m planning on going back during the day and exploring further.

I actually met you briefly at the Frane colony in Staten Island last summer when you were filming. I’m really interested in visiting fort Totten this Friday, but don’t know hiw to access the abandoned parts of it. Could you please point me in the right direction? Thanks for your help.

Danny! Sorry I couldn’t respond sooner, maybe the snow held you up today? You should be able to find your way to the battery, just get a good lay of the land on Google Maps before heading out. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend entering the Hospital, it is too far gone and super dangerous, I wouldn’t set foot in there again. Your best bet is just to wander and see what opportunities present themselves, not very helpful I know, but conditions change and I haven’t been by there in over a year.

Hi, thanks for responding. I was actually there today and was able to get into the fort, just the front side though not the back facing the water. Yeah, the hospital and farmhouse is pretty far gone. It would have been amazing to see it. Made me sad 😦

Typical of the waste of resources by the federal government. You can see the same thing at the former Brooklyn Navy Yard, structures that could have immediately gone on the market are held for decades until they are in ruins.

On the upside, the museum over by the old ammunition bunkers and the tunnel that goes into the old fort are fixed up and nice. They have also cleaned up and lit the tunnel. Too bad about the hospital and the other brick buildings, but they were decrepit when I lived there in the eighties.

Ft. Totten was, at one time, an Army Engineer post. The school that once housed the photography school is still standing. It is next to the chapel. The historical society building that was once the Officers Club is built in the shape of a castle. Not just any castle, but the Army Corps of Engineers insignia. I am happy to see it in use, as it was closed when I lived there.

Very sad to see the overall deterioration. I served at Fort Totten on active duty in 1958 & 1959. General Sharp was CO. I was a medic and worked in the old clinic building over near the water. It was a good duty station. I lived off base and enjoyed my time there and in the NYC area. Hope the park and structures can be restored.

I also was a medic stationed at the Dispensary. I ran the laboratory from 1961 to 1963. We saw patients 24/7/365. We had the lab, x-ray, pharmacy, three doctors, one civilian nurse, two ambulances and other support personnel. While stationed there I spent nine months as a working patient (operating rooms) at the Saint Albans Naval Hospital. I got off of active Duty as a Specialist E-5, P2; I separated at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. The Dispensary building is across the street from the swimming pool. The building next door, called the hospital, was used by the Signal Corps and by my room-mate, a Medical Equipment Repairman. When I was off duty I sometimes worked at the Officer’s Club as a waiter for weddings and Officer functions (good pay and good eats). The old fort was off limits, but I did lead a cleanup there one fall. It was also used for small caliber rifle practice. As a Medic I was only allowed to fire three rounds a year at Fort Tilden in Far Rockaway. It was the Vietnam War time and two helicopters used by the Two Star General, along with Harbor-Craft (tug boats) all used to visit islands in the Sound were sent to Vietnam. Fort Totten was also home to the Medical Equipment Development Laboratory. United Nations personnel also lived there and went to work daily by car. I returned a few years ago and the property was being shared by the Army Reserve, the NYC Fire Department, and the NYC Parks Department. Seeing the condition of most of the buildings was very sad to say the least. While stationed there I bought a BMW Isetta from a nurse in Bayside and met a young lady from Whitestone who is my wife of 53 years.

My birth certificate states that I was born at Ft. Totten, Long Island New York, year 1947. My mother was from Brooklyn and I was her 1st child. Any history, written or photographic, would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Sherman 🌴

Got to love the history people share! The lab recollections of the people who serve there, the people who were born there. Living history.
Noticing the insulators on the ceiling of the tunnels, exposed wiring from a long ago modernization want it all got electrified I imagine.

I visited FT Totten Park this cold morning. I grew up next door to the fort before is was a NYC park in the Bay Terrace garden apartments. I played baseball here 50 years ago, and by son had a soccer tournament here many years ago. The Park sits on one of the most scenic areas of Queens. I was glad to see a group of cyclists and walkers enjoying this historic place. Good opportunity for the FDNY to make use of it too. It’s a place of NYC history that should be Preserved all us to enjoy.